Having Trouble Sleeping?

A friend has been having sleepless nights. He has trouble getting to sleep and then wakes too early, often averaging four hours a night. So, now, he has a horrible cough and a fuzzy head and his business is suffering. He can't focus and, right now, more than ever, he needs to!

When general anxiety is raised by ever-changing media reports, it sometimes is difficult to get your head to shut off.

Here's a few of things I've learned:

• Have a bedtime ritual. Relax and do something relatively mindless and restful. For me, that means choosing between an hour of watching something benign and predictable like Law & Order and reading a book that is inspirational or, at a minimum, loving in some way. Sometimes, I do both. Maybe, a hot bath with good smelling things like lavender for relaxation does it for you. (I wish I could do this. My house only has two showers. Sigh!)
• As I've mentioned in an earlier post, don't be a media monger! People who want to be upset and have reasons to be angry watch the news too much. Then, they can stay in what they think is a justifiable state of anxiety, anger and upset. You're in charge. Give that up.
• Have a sense of order in your bedroom that is relaxing to you.
• Keep the bedroom television-free! That simply does not help you establish natural, healthy sleep rhythms.
• Don't drink too much before you go to bed. You know why!

A client of mine is a professional health coach. She gave me another great reason for sleeping my seven-to-eight hours a night: it helps you lose weight and/or stay at a healthy weight. I like it. To learn more from her experience and expertise, you'll find it at www.LifestyleForLongevity.com

So, sleep. Break the cycle of sleeplessness with these tips. If you have other things that work for you, please share them here. We're all in this together.

Cheers,
Rhoberta
www.TamingTenseTimes.com